Codex: Eldar Fleets
by CALiGeR190
Summary: Everything you need to know about the Eldar fleets.
1. Eldar Strike Craft

**Eldar Strike Craft**  
 _Silent Assassins_

 **DarkStar Fighter**

Length: 60 metres

Wing span: 40 metres (main), 15 metres (secondary)

Crew: 1 (sometimes not piloted, instead 'piloted' by a spirit-stone)

Sub-light engine: Unknown

Power supply: Unknown

Standard Armament: 4 Light Star Cannons

Webway capable: Unknown, presumed yes

Lore: Very little is known of this craft due to very few surviving encounters with them.  
At first glance, they appear similar to the Fury in shape and size (being quite large for a fighter at 60 metres in length), and their armament of 4 Star Cannons (one per wing-tip, two in the nose) are exceptionally deadly: but that is where similarities with the Fury ends.

For a start, she requires only a pilot: the GhostStar variant, not requiring any crew at all as they are piloted via spirit-stone.

They are nimble beyond imagining compared to any human craft, able to seemingly turn on the spot and immediately change course and direction: dodging even the most well-aimed las bolts in mid-flight, this advantage only exaggerated by the Eldar pilots super-human reaction speeds.  
It is also nightmarishly difficult to target, yet alone hit, a DarkStar. They have similar Holo-Field technology equipped to Eldar warships, confusing augurs and cogitators into believing there are in fact hundreds of targets, none of which may show the actual location of the DarkStar on scopes.

Fortunately for Imperial shipping, most don't have any missile, torpedo or bomb armament (although the Star Cannons can still do damage to even heavily armoured Imperial Escorts and System vessels) and are launched only in small squadrons that never seem to exceed 4 craft. Eldar Corsair and Craftworld carriers also don't carry very many strike craft. Most only carrying a total of 16 DarkStars, only the dreaded Void Stalker can carry significantly more at roughly 50 fighters total.

 **Raptor Fighter**

Length: 50 metres

Wing span: 30 metres

Crew: 1

Sub-light engine: Unknown

Power supply: Unknown

Standard Armament: 2 Splinter Cannons (wing-base mounted), 2 Dark Lances (Nose Mounted), 8 'Raptor' missiles (wing mounted)

Webway capable: Unknown, presumed yes

Lore: This is a craft so rarely sighted, many believe it simply doesn't exist. Little more than a myth whispered by scared voids men of a small craft that could fell capital ships, defeat whole squadrons of fighters, and then disappear behind a veil of shadows. Unfortunately for them, it does exist.

The Raptor is the Dark Eldar's most powerful void-capable fighter, featuring many of the advantages seen on the Corsair and Craftworld's Dark Star fighter but with greatly improved striking power. The Dark Lances and splinter cannons able to swat any other strike craft out of the sky with ease, and featuring missile warheads that seemingly never miss there targets and can prove fatal to any foe unfortunate enough to receive one.

The reason for this ship's existence is unclear to Imperial scholars, as the Dark Eldar already utilises a wide array of aerial vehicles that are capable of void combat, although non are as effective as the Raptor as a fighter or an assault craft. It is believed the Drak Eldar Archons wanted a fighter that could directly compete with (and defeat) the DarkStar in void combat. Whatever there reasoning, the Raptor is rightly seen as one of the most powerful all-around strike craft in the galaxy. Performing more like a fighter-bomber than a true fighter, explaining the lack of a Dark Eldar Void-bomber, although the VoidRaven is occasionally employed as a void-bomber in a similar fashion to the Marauder bomber in the Imperial Navy.

 **Eagle Bomber**

Length: 80 metres

Wing span: 60 metres (main), 30 metres (secondary)

Crew: 1 (sometimes not piloted, instead 'piloted' by a spirit-stone)

Sub-light engine: Unknown

Power supply: Unknown

Standard Armament: 2 Light Star Cannons, 1 Light Shadow Lance, 10 bomb warheads (Plasma, Vortex or Sonic) or 20 missile warheads (Plasma, Vortex or Sonic)

Webway capable: Unknown, presumed yes

Lore: These are considered by many to be the deadliest bombers known to man.  
They have more in common with fighters than bombers. They are fairly small for bombers and extremely nimble, able to easily outrun and outmaneuver most fighters. She typically has a crew of one, which is also unusual for a bomber (ghost variants having no crew). She also has the same holo fields as all Eldar spacecraft.

Her armaments for her size, however, are brutal. She has 2 Star Cannons and a down-scaled Shadow Lance (all in the nose) and a small payload of very exotic warheads. While she never carries more than one torpedo, 10 bombs or 20 missiles the warheads are equipped with far deadlier ordnance.

Sonic Charge Warheads can shake apart a ship or station to its very foundations and cause irreparable damage to the ship's innards, Vortex torpedoes can rip chunks of a ship's hull in oblivion and plasma torpedoes which can phase inside of even the thickest of armour and rend a ship's hull apart as it detonates from beneath.

Again, the Imperium counts itself fortunate that these bombers are not more numerous. They have not yet been seen deployed in groups larger than 3 and most carriers don't carry more 8 in total, although the number of Eagles that can launch from a Void Stalker add to the incredible fear said ship inspires in the hearts of experienced admirals: it being able to launch 20 of the deadly bombers.

 **Slavebringer Assault Boat**

Length: 60 metres

Wing span: 40 metres

Crew: 1 (space for approximately 30 boarders)

Sub-light engine: Unknown

Power supply: Unknown

Standard Armament: N/A

Webway capable: Unknown, presumed yes

Lore: The Slavebringer is the smaller cousin of the dreaded Impaler Assault Module often fitted to Dark Eldar warships. It is little more than a giant needle-shaped shuttle, devoid of weaponry or point defence, designed with the sole purpose of close the distance with opposing vessels quickly and boarding them to ferry back a cargo of slaves bound for Commorragh.

There is nothing sophisticated or subtle about this vessel or its intentions, ad its lack of weaponry and sleek profile, combined with a dark eldar pilot's reaction speed and powerful engines, make it infernally difficult to stop with tradition point defence weapons. The best hope against a wave of such vessels is faith, and a large fighter screen.


	2. Eldar Escorts

**Eldar Escorts**  
 _Eldar Mainstays_

 **Hemlock Class Destroyer**

Size: 1.4 KM long, 0.2 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: 10,000

Max Acceleration: 9.5 g

Defences: Wraithbone armour, Holofeild.

Standard Main Armament: 1 Pulsar Lance, 6 Light StarCannons (all frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Shuriken Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary Craft: N/A

Lore: The Hemlock is notable for its simplicity of design. She consists of a powerful pulsar lance, highly efficient sublight drives (solar sails), and little else. Admiral Grove once made the observation of the Hemlock as "...more of a mobile gun than a proper starship", comparing the escort to a 'mobile monitor'. With the power needed for the stellar drives and pulsar lance, even considering advanced Eldar power plants and propulsion technology, the Hemlock probably cannot generate a stable interior environment for much than the crew members needed for steering the ship and firing the pulsar. This makes it especially vulnerable to boarding actions from any enemy - if they can get close enough to the extremely fast and mobile ship to attempt to board - as she has a minimalist crew at the best of times.

Hemlocks are almost exclusively ships of the line and cheap firepower for an Eldar fleet.  
They are straightforward and brutal. They swoop in with lances blazing, make a kill on an unsuspecting cruiser or even a battleship, then duck for cover. Or swarm in large numbers to protect large Eldar vessels and further devastate fleets due to the much greater number of lances squadrons of these ships can provide. Far more dangerous weapons and ships than their closest comparable counterparts, the Idolator and the Firestorm.  
Full squadrons of six are a bit overkill, but 2 squadrons of 3 or 4 can be really devastating and sufficient to cripple even the largest capital ships while providing diversion and better manoeuvring than one big squadron, as well as better angles of fire: 2 squadrons firing from different directions being much harder to escape from and counter effectively with your broadsides as they run for cover, also harder for opposing escorts to chase down (if hey can catch a Hemlock at all).

The Hemlock is essentially an Escort sized Lance boat: able to provide heavy firepower for their size.

(Written by HuvalC)

 **Hellebore Class Frigate**

Size: 1.6 KM long, 0.3 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: 12,000

Max Acceleration: 9 g

Defences: Wraithbone armour, Holofeild.

Standard Main Armament: 1 Pulsar Lance, 4 Light StarCannons, 1 StarCannon (all frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Shuriken Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary Craft: N/A

Lore: The Hellebore is the least used among Eldar escorts, due to its costly and time consuming design. However, that does not mean the ship is the weakest among Eldar escorts, with its very good speed, striking power and its versatility. Despite its fragility (as an escort) it carries almost the same armament as a light cruiser and can inflict critical damage on vessels many times larger than itself.  
Although the pulsar lance and star cannons, were impressive for an escort they very rarely operate in a squadron due to their costly construction. A very strange quirk for an escort ship to have and one that causes many Eldar Princes to scoff at the escort as little more than an overprices and oversized hemlock, which can be deployed in vast sweeping formations.

While it is true that hellebores are not as specialized as the other escorts, a hellebore or two make for excellent fire-support platforms 2 or 3 Hellebores able to bring to bare the firepower of several light cruisers onto the flanks of opposing fleets, their compliment of weapons allowing them to engage enemies of all sizes, unlike many other escorts used by the Eldar and other races.

(Written by Ouroboros85)

 **Aconite Class Frigate**

Size: 1.4 KM long, 0.3 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: 11,000

Max Acceleration: 9 g

Defences: Wraithbone armour, Holofeild.

Standard Main Armament: 10 Light StarCannons (all frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Shuriken Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary Craft: N/A

Lore: Like all Eldar Escorts, the Aconite is a simple yet elegant design making use of highly advanced technologies allowing the ship speed and mobility uncommon even among escorts, although the minimalist crew and total lack of armour render her (and other Eldar vessels) highly vulnerable.  
The armament of the Aconite is also devastating by Escort standards, possessing an abnormally large bank of StarCannons in its nose. The exact role of this escort isn't entirely known (as is the secretive nature of the Eldar), but Imperial Navy tacticians speculate its design was intended to counter other escorts and hunt down convoy operation; a pair of the tiny vessels able to match the firepower of cruiser and easily catch any vessel in the Imperial arsenal.

The only limiting factor of the Aconite is her vulnerability. Although she possesses void shields, her flimsy hull, small crew and tiny size mean a single lance or Macro Cannon hit will practically vaporise her. This may be an issue for all Eldar vessels, but the eldar themselves typically prefer to reserve the Aconite for defensive operations: the StarCannon armament requiring time to wear down its opponents, time most Eldar captain can ill-afford to waste and allow their enemy to retaliate. The Hemlock, and even the Hellebore, being typically more commonly seen in use by the Eldar in raids.  
Despite this, a large swarm of Aconites is to be feared, as a large enough group can quite easily rival a battleship in sheer gun-firepower; many an attacker have been foolish enough to forget that.

The Aconite is the Light GunBoat of the Eldar fleet.

 **Nightshade Class Destroyer**

Size: 1.2 KM long, 0.5 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: 8,000

Max Acceleration: 10 g

Defences: Wraithbone armour, Holofeild.

Standard Main Armament: 4 Light StarCannons, 2 Light Torpedo Launchers (all frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Shuriken Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary Craft: N/A

Lore: The Nightshade is probably the most easily distinguished among the Eldar escorts.  
For one, she has a distinctive 'winged' solar sail layout, but also her design is much more in line with that of a conventional Imperial Destroyer: although FAR faster and better armed than any destroyer in Imperial service.

The role of these ships in combat is really very simple. They use their incredible High speed and tiny, nimble, frames to close with an enemy capital ship: and then unleash a pair of devastating Vortex or Neutron Torpedo Warheads directly into the target from very short ranges. The ship is almost always left a floating wreck by such an attack, the tiny destroyers spending most of the rest of the battle assisting in hunting down escorts with their modest StarCannon armament. This is largely very similar to the role the Cobra Class is intended to fill in Imperial fleets: although the Cobra will almost always outnumber Nightshades in a battle by at least 2 to 1, the Nightshade is without a doubt far more effective at carrying out its lethal duty.

 **Shadowhunter Escort**

Size: 1.4 KM long, 0.2 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: 8,000

Max Acceleration: 9.6 g

Defences: Wraithbone armour, Holofeild.

Standard Main Armament: 1 Shadow Lance (Frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Shuriken Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary Craft: N/A

Lore: The Shadowhunter is an escort seen only in use with craftworld eldar as a point defence monitor, of sort, poorly armed and armoured; but very fast and numerous. The shadowhunter is, even by Eldar standards, a very simple design: it is effectively nothing more than a single Shadow Lance, a bridge and a solar sail.  
The Shadow Lance itself isn't as powerful as a Pulsar lance, as well as being very short ranged, the lack of any StarCannons making this the Shadowhunter's only armament. For this reason, a single Shadowhunter is no threat, even to other escorts in some cases: but they never deploy alone.

The Shadowhunter is always seen deployed in vast swarms around Craftworlds, the hundreds of tiny vessels quickly surrounding and enveloping anything that may threaten the craftworld, firing repeated shadow bolts into their target; much like a swarm of killer bees defending a nest. They are rarely, if ever, seen outside of this protective role.  
These ships also served a very important role in protecting Lyandan from Hive fleet Naga, as the two swarms collided, buying the CraftWorld the time it needed to finish fortifying against the attack. Although almost all the Shadowhunters where lost, a few survived to assist Prince Yriel's corsair fleet in pushing the fractured Tyranid fleet away from the crippled CraftWorld.

The Shadowhunter is the point defence escort of the Eldar CraftWorld fleet.

 **Corsair Raider**

Size: 1.6 KM long, 0.3 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: Unknown

Max Acceleration: 9 g

Defences: unknown armour composition, Shadowfeild, Mimic Engine

Standard Main Armament: 2 Light Weapon Batteries (Light StarCannon equivalents), 1 Phantom Lance (or), 1 Impaler Module (or), 2 Light Torpedo Launchers (All frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Splinter Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary Craft: Unknown

Lore: The name 'Corsair' itself is a vague classification for all Dark Eldar escorts, as two of these Corsair Escorts could have vastly different armaments. All are equipped with weapon batteries (similar in form and function to StarCannons) which can be retracted into the hull (the reason for this isn't exactly known, but it is likely linked with the mimic engine's functionality) and then one of three distinct weapons: a Phantom Lance, Torpedo launchers or an Impaler Assault Module.  
The Torpedo launchers have much in common with those of other Eldar factions.  
The Phantom is essentially a smaller Pulsar Lance, although its lower power requirements grant it a higher rate of fire.  
But the Impaler is the unique and most deadly weapon the Corsair can bring: it is essentially a massively oversized assault boat. Its size means it's range is limited and is an easy target for Point defence, but a single successful boarding action will destroy almost every major module on a target and bring back many slaves for tortuous delights.

The escort itself also differs greatly from those found among corsair and craftworld kin: for one she has no solar sails, although superior Dark Eldar technological mastery and engineering mean this does not affect her speed or mobility. The ship also lacks a holo field, instead having a mimic engine which is a unique technology in use only with the Dark Eldar. The mimic engine operates on a similar principle to the holofield: it hides the equipped ships true position, but that's where the similarities end. While the holofield simply projects a ships location to somewhere where it isn't, the mimic outright copies the exact signature of any ship the Corsair has in its database. This allows the tiny escort to scare off threats that would otherwise have destroyed them, infiltrate convoy operations and draw in prey for an ambush.  
It is for this very reason, that ships travelling through Dark eldar territory are in a constant state of mortal terror; as at any moment their escorts could seemingly 'turn into' Corsairs and Torments and destroy them in an instant.


	3. Eldar Light Cruisers

**Eldar Light Cruisers**  
 _Killers in the Void_

 **Aurora Class Light Cruiser**

Size: 4 KM long, 1.4 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: 48,000

Max Acceleration: 8.6 g

Defences: Wraithbone armour, Holofeild.

Standard Main Armament: 2 Pulsar Lances, 4 Torpedo Launchers (all frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Shuriken Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary Craft: 4 Nightwing fighters, 4 Vampire Raiders

Lore: Very little of the Aurora is known for certain beyond its terrifying firepower and incredible speed.  
Prior to the Gothic War, the only encounters with what would be identified as the Aurora where short and brutal, very little surviving to tell the tail of the attack: no trace of the ship itself left behind as it slipped away into the murky depths of the void before any Imperial ship could hope to catch the raider.  
The armament of the Arora consists of Pulsar Lances and Torpedo launchers, the perfect armament for delivering crippling blows very quickly following a successful ambush, even the largest of Battleships being susceptible to such a lethal punch.

The Aurora's mysteries where somewhat cleared up during the Gothic War, as the Imperial Navy operated in close cooperation with the Eldar Corsair fleets in the Gothic Sector, the Imperium learning of its deployment and class name. The Aurora made a full display of its capabilities at the Battle of Gethsemane. Following a brutal exchange between Von Ravensburg's battleships and the bulk of the Chaos Armada, many Eldar rushed from behind Imperial lines and out of Ambush positions to assail the now broken and fleeing Chaos fleets. At first many Imperial captains assumed they had merely broken positions and where running to a swift demise, only the large number of Auroras among the Eldar formations where swiftly able to obliterate Chaos capital ship after Chaos capital ship, with no return damage seemingly taken.  
The Eldar made several passes and flanking manoeuvres throughout the remainder of the battle, sealing the fate of the vast majority of Abaddon's once mighty assembled Armada, as the Chaos ships where separated with an unstoppable sledge hammer ahead; and uncatchable assassins all around.

The Aurora is the heavy hitting ambush cruiser of the Eldar fleet.

 **Solaris Class Light Cruiser**

Size: 4.2 KM long, 0.4 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: 55,000

Max Acceleration: 8.4 g

Defences: Wraithbone armour, Holofeild.

Standard Main Armament: 6 StarCannons, 1 Hangar Bay (all frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Shuriken Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary craft: 16 DarkStar Fighters, 8 Eagle Bombers, 30 Nightwing fighters, 20 Vampire Raiders, 10 Phoenix Attack Craft and 10 Vampire Hunters

Lore: The Solaris is very similar to the Aurora in all but armament, many Imperial captains mistaking the Solaris for the much feared Aurora: leading to many tactical errors and Morales breakages. Her armament in weapons may not be as powerful as the Aurora, so she can not deliver the same lethal punch, but the Solaris is by no means the weaker of the two.  
Her Carrier capacity, although limited, yields some of the strongest Strike Craft known to the Imperium. No Ordnance gets by a Solaris, and very little escapes its bomber assaults, as well as its powerful StarCannon armament being capable of tearing through even the thickest of sip hides with seemingly effortless ease.

The ship was first identified by the Imperium by Battlefleet Gothic in M40 during one of the first major engagements with Prince Ilmarth and the Soul Reaver's Eldar Corsair fleet. Battlefleet Gothic, dramatically underestimating the power of eldar ships, launched an all out assault on the Yurol Nebula that the Eldar fleets where basing from. The plan being simple: two fleets comprising of larger battleships and Battlecruisers would flank the nebula while flotillas of cruisers and escorts would push into the Nebula and force the Eldar onto the Heavy Guns.  
The Solaris came into its own in this battle. The Imperial ships, already hampered by low visibility, where haunted by a group of Eldar Solaris CLs and Strike Craft squadrons. Ship after ship suddenly going silent as a Solaris and its lethal Ordnance emerged to claim their lives, and disappear before a retaliation could be mounted. Several cruisers and countless Light Cruisers and escorts fell to Solaris attacks before Imperial admirals finally called off the attack; the newly discovered Light Cruiser earning a reputation as a ruthless killer and a true nightmare for less capital ships and escorts to deal with. The Class would also later resurface in the Gothic War, where they proved instrumental in helping to turn the tide against the Chaos carrier fleets.

The Solaris is the Light Carrier of the Eldar fleet.


	4. Eldar Cruisers

**Eldar Cruisers**  
 _The Deadly Menace_

 **Eclipse Class Cruiser**

Size: 4.7 KM long, 1.4 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: 72,000

Max Acceleration: 8 g

Defences: Wraithbone armour, Holofeild.

Standard Main Armament: 6 StarCannons, 1 Pulsar Lance, 1 Hangar Bay (all frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Shuriken Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary craft: 16 DarkStar Fighters, 8 Eagle Bombers, 50 Nightwing fighters, 30 Vampire Raiders, 15 Phoenix Attack Craft and 15 Vampire Hunters

Lore: The Eclipse is unusual both as a cruiser and a carrier. Most races have a consensus of Cruisers being line ships, making up the majority of the firepower and acting as a solid 'front line' for admirals to conduct battle from, Carriers also generally being considered as back-line support ships rather than attack vessels; often requiring an escort. The Eclipse fits neither of these categories very well, despite technically being a member of both.  
The Eclipse has more than enough firepower to rival any non-carrier-based cruiser with its Pulsar and StarCannon armament combined with incredible speed, making the Eclipse an incredibly dangerous front-line fighter despite its 'carrier' role: the ship also outclassing many carriers due to Eldar Strike Craft supremacy. The Eclipse does not fit the typical cruiser role either... like all Eldar warships, rely on mobility and stealth above all else to make hit-and-run and flanking attacks on any foe they may be facing.  
This oddity of extreme speed and firepower on a supposed 'carrier' has lead to many Imperial strategists to question its weight classification as Cruiser, despite its designation as such by the Eldar themselves.

The Cruiser itself, predictably given its armament, is a brutally dangerous adversary to deal with. Full flotillas of Imperial Cruisers have been felled by the Eclipse, and very few Battleships can even claim to be able to properly challenge such a deadly vessel. The ships only real weakness is its vulnerability for its size, lacking any armour protection and having very limited crew numbers: any successful boarding action or battery/lance hit made through it's holofields being more than enough to cripple the cruiser. This becoming apparent when the Cobra destroyers of Skargul squadron got a lucky hit on the Eclipse Class Cruiser, Stardeath, crippling the cruiser instantly and dropping its holofield protection: the three destroyers then being more than capable of tearing the much larger warship to pieces despite their lacking armament.  
The Cruiser has earned much of its reputation as a lethal killer in the Gothic War, however, where Eclipse Class Cruisers proved to be the deadliest vessels to Imperial and Chaos shipping throughout the war (aside from the dreaded, and much less common, Void Stalker Battleship), and continued to haunt convoy operations long after.

The Eclipse is the Assault Carrier among the Eldar Cruisers

 **Shadow Class Cruiser**

Size: 4.7 KM long, 1.4 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: 60,000

Max Acceleration: 8 g

Defences: Wraithbone armour, Holofeild.

Standard Main Armament: 9 StarCannons, 4 Torpedo Launchers (all frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Shuriken Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary craft: 6 Nightwing fighters, 6 Vampire Raiders

Lore: This ship is considered by many within the Imperium as the most typical example of what can be expected from Eldar warships.  
The Shadow is incredibly fast and mobile, possesses a deadly battery of StarCannons and Torpedo launchers and very poor protection beyond her holofields: typical of all Eldar vessels.  
Despite this seemingly unimpressive layout, she is not to be underestimated, the Shadow is one of the deadliest frequent raiders of Imperial shipping in the Gothic Sector: many Eldar captains becoming informace for their exploits at the helms of Shadow Class Cruisers. Perhaps the most infamous of all being the Black Star and her captain, Prince Conanmaol, who has succeeded in capturing or destroying hundreds of Imperial capital ships over the millennia: as well as claiming countless dozens of Convoys attempting to pass by the Graildark nebula.

The Shadow is also one of the few Eldar ships that are relatively well known by the Imperium, as they are so frequently seen and destroyed; many wrecks of Shadow's have found their way into Imperial hands. One fully intact Shadow, Fhianna Rethol, was also temporarily taken under Imperial control after being Immobilised and boarded. The ship was studied closely by the Navy and elements of the Mechanics: which is where much of the Imperium's knowledge of Solar Sails and Holo Fields can be traced back to, but the ship did not last longer than a month, as a torpedo attack from Nightshade Destroyers would destroy her utterly before the Imperium could relocate her.

The Shadow is the Standard Cruiser of the Eldar fleet.

 **Dragonship**

Size: 4.5 KM long, 0.6 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: 50,000-80,000

Max Acceleration: 8 g

Defences: Wraithbone armour, Holofeild.

Standard Main Armament: 9 StarCannons, 1 Hangar Bay (or), 1 Pulsar Lance (all frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Shuriken Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary craft:  
Non-carrier variant: 4 Nightwing fighters, 4 Vampire Raiders  
Carrier variant: 16 DarkStar Fighters, 8 Eagle Bombers, 50 Nightwing fighters, 30 Vampire Raiders, 15 Phoenix Attack Craft and 15 Vampire Hunters

Lore: The term 'Dragon' is the term given to the (roughly) cruiser-sized vessels in use with the Craftworld Eldar, two Dragons can vary vastly in appearance, armament, size and capabilities. The only thing the Dragon 'class' as a whole has in common being it's weight designation as cruisers.  
Despite this lack of standardisation among the class, there are more common variants: Void Dragon (a variant that typically operates far from the Craftworld and makes extensive use of stealth), Ghost Dragon (a variant which lacks any crew and is operated by spirit stones containing the souls of long-dead Eldar) and variants armed with Pulsars, Star Cannons or Launch Bays.

The Dragon can generally be characterised (despite the vast variation from ship to ship) as ships which are very well armed, even by Eldar standards, and typical in their excellent mobility and poor protection. Much like the other vessels in use with the Craftworld Eldar, its tactical application is built entirely around protecting the Craftworld itself. While swarms of Shadowhunters envelop and destroy most targets, small groups of Dragons regularly patrol in an inner sphere around the Craftworld, effectively acting as a second line of defence for the Craftworld. In times of Dire need, Ghost Dragons also being deployed to increase numbers and firepower being brought to bear in defence of the craftworld. The only exception to this pack-defence being the Void Dragons, which push deep into space away from the Craftworld in search of any potential threats and destroying them before they can threaten the Craftworld. Some Craftworlds, like Beil-tan for example, make greater use of Void Dragons due to their highly aggressive nature: many corsair princes also finding at least one Void Dragon among their arsenal of vessels.

The Dragon is the standard cruiser of the Craftworld Eldar.

 **Wraithship**

Size: 4.5 KM long, 0.6 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: 50,000-80,000

Max Acceleration: 8 g

Defences: Regenerative Wraithbone armour, Holofeild.

Standard Main Armament: 9 StarCannons (or), 1 Hangar Bay (or), 1 Pulsar Lance (all frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Shuriken Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary craft:  
Non carrier variants: 4 Nightwing fighters, 4 Vampire Raiders  
Carrier variant: 16 DarkStar Fighters, 8 Eagle Bombers, 50 Nightwing fighters, 30 Vampire Raiders, 15 Phoenix Attack Craft and 15 Vampire Hunters

Lore: Wraithships are cruiser sized vessels unique to the Craftworld eldar which are unusual for their durability.  
Most Eldar ships are 'crafted' from Wraithbone: a semi-organic material which the Eldar use in construction of almost all of their structures, weapons, armour and ships; the Wraithship differs in that the whole ship is physically 'grown' and shaped in a functioning cruiser from a core of solid Wraithbone drawn directly out of the warp. This unconventional form of ship construction means the ship itself is semi-sentient and physically attuned to the physci of her captain and crew, it also the gives the ship more 'organic' properties that permit it a limited form of regeneration, making it surprisingly difficult to kill for an Eldar vessel.

The ship's mobility is typical by Eldar standards, and its armament is slightly lacking for an Eldar cruiser; but that by no means makes it harmless.  
The ship can be equipped with a Pulsar, StarCannons or Launch Bays depending on its variant.  
The Wraithships themselves are normally seen deployed with groups of Dragons or the largest ships seen Patrolling the skies within the Craftworld itself. They are the absolute last line of defence, and their toughness often makes them the crux of any space-born defence mounted by the CraftWorld Eldar despite their inferior armament to the Dragon. The ships are also frequently mistaken for Dragons for their similar appearance to many of the Dragon variants, a very foolish mistake to make, for a Wraithship is no easy vessel to destroy through its regenerative hull and holofield protection.

A surprisingly tough defensive cruiser in use with the Craftworld Eldar.

 **Torture Class Cruiser**

Size: 4.2 KM long, 1.3 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: Unknown

Max Acceleration: 8 g

Defences: unknown armour composition, Shadowfeild, Mimic Engine.

Standard Main Armament: 9 Weapon Batteries (StarCannon equivalents), 1 Impaler Module (or), 1 Phantom Lance (all frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Splinter Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary craft: Unkown

Lore: Even among Eldar vessels very little of this vessel is known.  
Imperial records of the second identified Dark Eldar weight class named the 'Torture' was only very recently added to Imperial archives, several hundred reported 'Eldar' attacks with Eclipse and Shadow Cruisers now believed to have in fact been Torture raids.  
The exact capabilities of the ship aren't known, and several variants have already been identified; some so radically different they might as well be different classes. However, a 'standard' variant has been identified which is used as the example for Imperial records.  
The most common 'standard' variant is equipped with an Impaler Assault module and a large array of weapon batteries; this armament has proven more than enough to destroy all but the very heaviest of Imperial shipping if the re-identified raids are anything to go by.

Further analysis of the few wrecks in Imperial possession have also shed light on how these ships have evaded detection for so long: they possess the same mimic engine technology previously identified on the Corsair escorts.  
This has had worrying implications for the Imperium, as it could mean entire 'convoys' could instead prove to be a fleet of Dark Eldar warships. It also seriously undermines Imperial efforts to protect convoy operations and calls into question the true power and intentions of the different Eldar factions, as many more Corsair, CraftWorld and even a few Ork attacks may yet turn out to also be Dark Eldar in origin.

The Torture is the only known cruiser in service with the Dark Eldar.


	5. Eldar Battleships

**Eldar Battleship**  
 _Mysterious Majesty_

 **VoidStalker Battleship**

Size: 8 KM long, 2.9 KM abeam at widest point

Crew: Unkown

Max Acceleration: 8 g

Defences: Wraithbone armour, Holofeild.

Standard Main Armament: 9 Heavy StarCannons , 2 Hangar Bays, 4 Heavy Pulsar Lances (all frontally mounted)

Standard secondary Armament: Missile Banks and Shuriken Cannons (broadside, belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)

Auxiliary craft: 50 DarkStar Fighters, 20 Eagle Bombers, 200 Nightwing fighters, 120 Vampire Raiders, 80 Phoenix Attack Craft and 80 Vampire Hunters

Lore: The VoidStalker is a battleship of unknown origin and the largest vessel known to be in service with any Eldar fleet.  
These ships are as terrifying as they are beautiful to behold, easily the match of any of the mightiest of Imperial Battleships. The ship is fast for a battleship and equipped with a terrifying array of Pulsar lances and StarCannons along with the most carrier capacity of any known Eldar vessel. This means the VoidStalker is more than capable of catching and utterly destroying whole fleets of other warships, Imperial tacticians and archivists believing that this is why the ship was never reportedly sighted prior to the Gothic War; many 'disappearances' possibly being attributed to VoidStalker attacks.  
The only real weakness the VoidStalker has is one that she shares in common with almost all other Eldar vessels: her complete lack of armour, only exaggerated by her large size. This does mean that if she is facing another battleship or many capital ships, she may struggle to destroy them completely before receiving crippling damage in return. However, her incredible firepower, speed and Holo Field protection are often more than enough to cover this weakness.

The VoidStalker's first appearance was during the Gothic War.  
Until the battle of Gethsemane, is was believed by the Imperium that the Eldar possessed nothing larger than a cruiser, and nothing other than escorts and cruisers was seen in combat in the Gothic War up to that point: so the arrival of the VoidStalker was a shock to Imperial captains and Admirals. Two VoidStalkers made special distinction in particular and demonstrated what the new Eldar vessel could do: the Bright Star and the Forge of Vaul.  
The Bright Star can be attributed with the destruction of the blockade fleet above Lethe and the destruction of several Chaos Grand and Heavy Cruisers in the Lysades system, earning her captain many commendations from the Imperial Navy; the Eldar loudly boasting the ship had never been defeated in battle.  
The Forge of Vaul, while having a less impressive kill tally of mostly Light Cruisers and Escorts, operated in very close cooperation with Imperial Navy elements assaulting systems controlled by the Orks. She helped greatly in protecting numerous Imperial assault transports and capital ships from attack, as well as regularly providing air support and bombardment for Imperial ground forces. Her captain's actions earning great respect from many Imperial commanders and Admirals of the VoidStalker vessel.

The Void Stalker is the only known battleship known to be in service with the Eldar and is seen only in use with the Corsairs.


End file.
